David McDonald Photography

Sunday, March 18, 2018

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail. So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.Wintering waterfowl were still present and I saw several new species and lifers. The Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) is a familiar bird as it is often found as a feral introduced domesticated goose. It is IDed by the bicolored neck and black bill. You will notice that the wild populations do not have the big hump on the bill.

Swan Goose

The Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) is the smaller of the bean goose species. It is IDed by size and grayish brown color and bicolored bill.

And the last was another vulnerable rare east Asian endemic. The male Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamatus) is similar to our Red-breasted Merganser, but has pronounced scaly appearance to the flanks and a long crest.

We also saw Mandarin Duck, Tufted Duck, and Ferruginous Duck as well as species that also occur in North America (Mallard, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler and Northern Pintail). All of the birds pictured here were lifers for me except the Eurasian Widgeon.

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewingI have photos of 60 of the 165 species of waterfowlHappy birding and photography,David McDonalddkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

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Sunday, January 28, 2018

I went for a second visit to Guatemala at the end of May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we concentrated on the western highlands and Pacific lowlands along the Mexican border, as several Mexican species just make it into Guatemala here.

I got photos of 7 species on hummers on the trip, so I will describe them in alphabetical order. The 4.5" Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis amethystinus). This bird has a vertical white behind the eye.The range is Mexico to Honduras. The male has a bright pink throat, but I did not see one. This juvenile male was feeding at some flowers.

Amethyst-throated Hummingbird - juvenile male

The female has a buffy throat.

Amethyst-throated Hummingbird -female

I was surprised to see the 4" Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) here. This is the hummer seen in Colorado They do breed this far south, but at very high elevations. We were about 10,000 feet. It was very cold even in early June and the stunted flowers were just an inch tall, so the bird was on the ground essentially.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird - male

Next is the 3.5" Canivet's Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii). The male is all green with a forked tail. The female ahs a striped head, but is all white below. This juvenile male is molting to adult plumage, but he still has the head of a female and mostly white below. The forked tail can be seen. The range is southeastern Mexico to Honduras.

Canivet's Emerald - juvenile male

Next was another lifer the amazing 4.5" Garnet-throated Hummingird (Lamprolaima rhami). The male is green with deep red throat with blue chest, but he also has reddish wings making him an easy ID.

Garnet-throated Hummingbird - male

The next was another life bird, the 4" Green-fronted Hummingbird (Amazilia viridifrons). This is a rather plain hummingbird green above and grayish below. He does have the red bill usually seen in this genus.

Green-fronted Hummingbird

Next is the 5" Plain-capped Starthroat (Heliomaster constantii). This bird is a rare vagrant to Southeast Arizona where I had first seen it, but didn't get a photo. This was my second sighting of this species. Sexes are similar and it id iDed by large size, striped head and white lower back.

Plain-capped Starthroat

Lastly is another rarity in southeast Arizona, the 3.5" White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis). It has a dark head with a white stripe behind the eye and a red bill.

White-eared Hummingbird

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewingI have photos of 123 of the 348 hummingbirdsHappy birding and photography,David McDonalddkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2017 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

I went for a second visit to Guatemala at the end of May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we concentrated on the western highlands and Pacific lowlands along the Mexican border, as several Mexican species just make it into Guatemala here. One of my target birds for this trip was the 33" Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus). It is resident in mountains in Chiapas Mexico and adjacent Guatemala at elevations 5,000 to 7,500 feet. In Guatemala it is listed as rare and local. But wherever you look for it, usually involves hiking up mountain trails a considerable distance. However, there is one place where you can drive up the mountain and only have a 150 elevation hike to get to see the bird. It is black with a white chest and a red horn on his head. What the use of the horn is I have no idea except a decorative feature. The sexes are similar and it was a lifer. We saw 3 or 4 different birds over 2 days.

Horned Guan

And a frontal view. He also has a whitish eye and yellow beak.

Horned Guan

We saw 2 motmots on the trip. The 10.5" Blue-throated Motmot (Aspatha gularis) is green with a blue throat and black spot behind eye and on chest. It does not have a racquet tail. This was my second time to see this bird. It is a resident of southern Mexico to Honduras.

Blue-throated Motmot

The other was a lifer, the 13" Russet-crowned Motmot (Momotus mexicanus) He is mostly bluish-green with a brown crown and a black spot on the chest. He does have a raquet tail. It is a resident of western Mexico to western Guatemala. There are 14 species of motmot and he was the tenth that I have photographed.

Russet-crowned Motmot

The beautiful Resplendat Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is a mythical bird of central America that even non birders want to see. It was sacred to the Mayan people and the Guatemala currency is called the quetzal. The male has very long tail feathers, but the female lacks them. We visited a quetzal reserve where they tracked a couple of nests. One pair had left already and at the second nest, the male had left a day before with the first baby to fledge, while the female stayed with the second baby. We watched her bringing food to the nest hole and feed the baby.

Resplendant Quetzal - female

Here she is by the nest hole.

Resplendant Quetzal - female

And here is the baby.

Resplendant Quetzal - baby

The only toucan we saw was the 14" Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorynchus prasinus). The Emerald Toucanet complex was a confusing group of birds as they were split into 7 species and then several were lumped back together after DNA analysis, so there are 4 species now from the original Emerald Toucanet of 20 years ago. This is the bird retaining the name and is a resident from eastern Mexico to Nicaragua. I had seen this bird in Belize on my first trip to the tropics.

Emerald Toucanet

The last bird was a cuckoo. We are all familiar with the cartoons of the coyote and the Greater Roadrunner. Many of us have seen the Greater Roadrunner in the southwestern USA. Well if there is a Greater Roadrunner, there has to be a Lesser Roadrunner (Geococcyx velus). He is very similar, but only 18" in length compared to 23" for his cousin. He is resident from Mexico to Nicaragua. He was another life bird for me.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

I went for a second visit to Guatemala at the end of May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we concentrated on the western highlands and Pacific lowlands along the Mexican border, as several Mexican species just make it into Guatemala here. A highlight for this trip was the 10" Blue-and-white Mockingbird (Melanotis hypoleucus). This bird is a resident from southern Mexico to El Salvador. It is one of 2 species in the genus and different from the mimus genus, gray mockingbirds we are all familiar with. It is a snazzy looking bird, blue above and white below with a black mask. We saw one in a tree and he pretty much stayed hidden, but while we were at lunch one flew and landed on the lawn outside where we were eating and fortunately I saw it and got some nice photos.

Blue-and-white Mockingbird

A short time later he flew to a fence post. What a cool looking bird! He was a lifer.

Blue-and-white Mockingbird

Another blue lifer was the 10" Black-throated Jay (Cyanolyca pumilo). He is blue with a black throat. His range is southern Mexico to Honduras.

Black-throated Jay

The 10" Mexican Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) is black with yellow shoulders and yellow tail. It is also known as Yellow-winged Cacique. It is resident in western Mexico to El Salvador and was a lifer. I think this is a male with the crest. The female is duller.

Mexican Cacique

A surprise was to find the 4" Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) so far south. They are breed in the mountains in Guatemala above 7,500 ft elevation.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

We saw several members of the cardinal family. The 9" male Yellow Grosbeak (Pheucticus chrysopeplus) is bright yellow with black wings and white bars. It is a resident of Mexico and Guatemala. This was another life bird for me.

Yellow Grosbeak - male

The female is duller.

Yellow Grosbeak - female

A beautiful bird was the 6" male Red-breasted Chat (Granatella venustus). He is gray backed, red below, and a black and white patterned head. He also has a long tail. He was a lifer as well. It is listed as a Mexican endemic, but it just barely crosses the border into Guatemala. So it was a treat to find it.

Red-breasted Chat - male

The third cardinal was the 5.5" Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor). This bird is bluish with purple-red on head. It is a resident from western USA to Guatemala. This was only the second time I have seen this species.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

I went for a second visit to Guatemala at the end of May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we concentrated on the western highlands and Pacific lowlands along the Mexican border, as several Mexican species just make it into Guatemala here. On the Pacific side of Guatemala adjacent to Chiapas Mexico are some wonderful wetlands. These were originally used for shrimp farming, but many ponds are now overgrown with marsh reeds and mangroves and provide excellent habitat for a number of species. The Mangrove Vireo in the previous bulletin was found here.Bitterns are the most secretive members of the heron family. There are 14 species in the world, but only 4 in the Americas. Two are in USA (American and Least) and I saw a third one in these ponds. The 28" Pinnated Bittern (Botaurus pinnatus) is very similar to our American Bittern but 6 inches taller. Also, the black barring on the back of the neck is a good field mark to differentiate them. We saw 7 birds in the ponds, but without the sharp eyes of the guides, I would not have seen them as they stay pretty motionless in the reeds.

Pinnated Bittern

Another bird there was the 30" Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum). The adult flew into a tree and posed for a photo. It is easy to ID as the only tiger-heron in Guatemala

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron - adult

Also we found a juvenile. He has a striped back.

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron - juvenile

The 9" Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) were fairly common here and I got my best photo ever of this bird.

Northern Jacana

Also a 16" Rufous-naped Wood-Rail (Aramides albiventris) was seen. If this name is unfamiliar to you, it was formerly the Gray-necked Wood-Rail. The species was split a few years ago and the northern birds given this name by the IOU. The AOU has a different name for this bird, Russet-naped Wood-Rail.

Rufous-naped Wood-Rail

I also saw a life mammal in these wetlands. A Jaguarundi ran across the road about 30 feet in front of the car, stopped and looked at us and ran off before I could get a photo. What a treat to see this 24" black cat with a long tail.Before we drove to the wetlands, we got up before dawn to see the 9.5" Pacific Screech-Owl (Megascops cooperi). This was a lifer.

Pacific Screech-Owl

The 6.5" Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium cobanese) is resident in the mountains of from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. As a diurnal owl, it is fairly easy to see by playing the tape and if one is in the vicinity, it will promptly fly in. This owl was also a lifer.

Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl

The third owl of the trip was the 7" Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum). This small diurnal reddish owl has a huge range from extreme southern USA to Argentina. I had seen this owl before, but we saw several on this trip.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Pygmy-Owls catch and eat small birds. They have an interesting adaptation, as on the back of their head are feathers that resemble another pair of eyes. I would presume this is to confuse their prey as to whether they are being watched or not. Here is the back of the head of this bird.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Needless to say, these owls are unwelcome in the neighborhood and other small birds will mob and attack to owl to try and drive it away. This is why guides will play the tape of a local pygmy-owl to bring in smaller birds. Here is the owl being attacked by a much smaller 4" gnatcatcher.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl mobbed by a gnatcatcher

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy perusal.I have photos of 25 of the 66 heronsAnd I have photos of 12 of the 138 rails and coots.And I have photos of 3 of the 8 jacanas.And I have photos of 24 of the 216 typical owlsHappy birding and photography,David McDonalddkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2017 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

I went for a second visit to Guatemala at the end of May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we concentrated on the western highlands and Pacific lowlands along the Mexican border, as several Mexican species just make it into Guatemala here. I had a list of 10 species in particular I wanted to see and we got 9 of the 10 and saw the other, but I was not able to get a photo of the bird.There were 3 target warbler species for the trip. The first was the absolutely stunning 5" Golden-browed Warbler (Basileuterus belli). It is hands down the most beautiful warbler I have seen so far.

Golden-browed Warbler

The second was the 5.5" Goldman's Warbler (Setophaga goldmani). If you are not familiar with this bird yet, it is part of the split of Yellow-rumped Warbler, but the AOU hasn't accepted it yet, although the IOU has. It is shown in current guide books. It has a black head, back and breast with a yellow throat.

Goldman's Warbler - male

The female is streaked below rather than solid black.

Goldman's Warbler - female

The third was the Fan-tailed Warbler. But despite chasing it for an entire day and seeing it flying around, it never alighted long enough to get a photo.We also saw several other warblers. The 4.5" Crescent-chested Warbler (Oreothylpis superciliosa) is olive with a white eye stripe, yellow breast and rufous spot in yellow.

Crescent-chested Warbler

We again saw the fabulous 5" Pink-headed Warbler (Cardellina versicolor). It has a pink head and bright red body.

Pink-headed Warbler

The last was the 5" Grace's Warbler (Setophaga graciae). This bird is a target bird for southeast Arizona, but its range extends south to Nicaragua

Grace's Warbler

We also found 3 vireo species, 2 of which I had seen and but had poor photos. The 5" Mangrove Vireo (Vireo pallens) is similar to our White-eyed Vireo with yellow spectacles and wing bars, As his name suggests, he inhabits mangroves on both coasts in Middle America from Mexico to Costa Rica.

Mangrove Vireo

And another photo of the same bird.

Mangrove Vireo

The 5" Brown-capped Vireo (Vireo leucophyrs) has a light brown back and dark brown cap. His range is Mexico to Bolivia.

Brown-capped Vireo

We also saw a 7" Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo (Vireolanius melitophrys). .This bird is very distinctive with a yellow green back, gray cap, black line through the eye and yellow stripe above the eye. He also has a chestnut collar and streaking on his flanks. He stays in the canopy of the trees. His range is in mountains from central Mexico to Guatemala. He was a lifer for me. The first shows his head pattern.

Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo

And this shows his back.

Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy perusal.I have photos of 73 of the 120 New World warblers.And I have photos of 23 of the 63 worldwide vireos.Happy birding and photography,David McDonalddkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2017 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.